Wink Martindale – KFWB – February 18, 1967 – Gordon Skene Sound Collection –
It’s happened to almost everybody at one time or another. You’re the New Kid In School – don’t know a soul – don’t know your way around – everybody is staring at you like you’re the Missing Link. And it’s not that everyone is unfriendly, it’s just the ones you’ve chosen to start a conversation with are a little hostile and you aren’t sure why. You just asked her where the Science building was and she thought you were hitting on her – you decide to just keep to yourself and observe your awkward life until the ice finally breaks. Soon you’ll find out you have most of your classes together. You wonder if she’s actually ever stabbed anybody. You don’t want to be the first to find out. Welcome to your first day in a new school in the middle of a semester and the world’s strongest desire to disappear.
You’ve been through this before, you should be used to it by now – a new school in a new town every year. Your dad has one of those jobs that keep him moving around. Last year it was Denver – this year it’s L.A. – next year it might be someplace else, but you’ll be graduating and you won’t have to get used to being stared at for weeks on end. You won’t have to be anyplace.
But that’s a year off – for all intents and purposes, another lifetime on another planet – anything can happen between now and then. You could get hit by a car – you could wind up falling into love with the girl who pulled the scissors on you – she could be your soul mate; you could wind up being inseparable – you kind of doubt it, but you never know. Life, as you’ve noticed by now, is loaded with twists and turns – anything can happen in the next five minutes. And it always does.
At least your background music is consistent – KFWB reminds you of the station in Denver you used to listen to all the time – your go-to place – the one constant in your life. There’s not a lot of those around.
It just so happens, February 18th 1967 was Wink Martindale’s last day as a disc-jockey on KFWB before he wound up landing on TV and another whole side to an amazing career from one of L.A.’s best loved personalities.
Give it a listen – and be grateful you don’t have a first day in a new school to look forward to anymore.
